NEWS / EVENTS / SPECIALS / TOM'S TIDBITS | |
Back in 1984 I put a team together to race the famous 24 hours of Willow Springs endurance road race. Because this was a very prestigious race it brought out professional race teams and riders. There were multiple classes from Open Class Superbikes, Supersports, Box Stock, Modified and also smaller displacement bikes. | At the time I was working at American Honda, so they gave me a box stock 500 Interceptor to race this event. Since it was not a formal Team Honda effort, we ran as a privateer entry. Honda paid for and supplied us with most everything we needed. | Our team was comprised of my personal friends and a bunch of us who worked for Honda. Tommy came up with the name Team SATYR. A Satyr is a mythical creature that is half man and half horse and known as a lover of wine, music, dancing, and women. Well that pretty well described the lot of us! | A 24 hour endurance road race is a very fast, grueling experience and hard work for the entire pit crew and riders. All endurance teams, including ours, had multiple riders, and I was one of the riders for our team. Riders take turns riding and stay out for about 30 – 45 minutes. We would change riders when the bike came in for gas and repeated this process for 24 hours. My friends Tommy, Doug, Ed, and Jeff were my normal pit crew, and all were very experienced and knowledgeable at performing fast pit stops. Everyone on our team were volunteers, and they performed so well that they even got scouted and asked to join other teams. | This year Team Hammer owner John Ulrich had brought a secret weapon, a young unknown rider from Texas named Kevin Schwantz! Wewere entered in the 600cc class and we set to race against Kevin with our 500 cc Honda. Yes, we were underpowered, but we had some very fast riders, and the Interceptor was a fantastic handling bike. Willow Springs is a very, very fast racetrack so we were definitely at a disadvantage in the 600 class. | Because we had installed a fast-fill gas tank fixture we wound up being put in the Modified 600 class. Kevin was racing a FZ600 in the 600cc box stock class. There were a couple of us riders equaling Kevin’s lap times, but he was now in a different class so we didn’t compete against him directly. One of the things that makes endurance racing so cool is that all motorcycle classes are out on track at the same time, so what a thrill it was to be out there riding with Kevin who went on to become a Grand Prix World Champion! | Just goes to show what enthusiasm, a great pit crew, good riders, a great bike, and a whole lot of hard work can do. We finished first in the Modified 600 class! In all classes combined the overall winner was Team Hammer that took first place with their 1100cc Superbike. Kevin’s team took second with their stock class FZ600, and our little 500cc Honda took third place overall beating the rest of the field of bikes, including all of the other big bikes! | I am so lucky that I was surrounded by so many friends and loved ones that made our success possible. It truly was a case of Slaying Giants! | |
Triumph Unveils the Exclusive New Bonneville Bobber TFC | |
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Triumph proudly introduces the New Bonneville Bobber TFC, a limited-edition masterpiece that epitomizes the best of British custom motorcycling. Limited to just 750 individually numbered units worldwide, the Bobber TFC represents the ultimate in hand-crafted design, combining timeless style with advanced performance and exclusive, high-spec features. Crafted for riders who value rare quality and refined power, this new TFC model brings a fresh level of precision, agility, and sophistication to the iconic Bobber line. Discover what makes the Bonneville Bobber TFC a true standout in Triumph’s lineup of custom-inspired motorcycles.
Key Features of the New Bonneville Bobber TFC:
- Ultra-Limited Production: Only 750 units worldwide, each uniquely numbered for true exclusivity.
- Distinctive bespoke two-tone paint with hand-crafted ‘marble’ gold accents, paired with carbon fiber bodywork.
- Even more responsive High-Torque 1200cc Bonneville Twin
- Gold-finished components, a hand-signed tank, and an embossed leather seat.
- Three riding modes, including new Sport mode, and integrated safety features for optimal control and a dynamic ride.
- Akrapovič Slash-Cut lightweight silencers: with premium carbon embellishers
The New Bonneville Bobber TFC is a masterclass in style, exclusivity, and performance. Designed for discerning riders who demand only the finest, this limited-edition model is Triumph’s most refined expression of custom motorcycling.
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Ducati Panigale V4 Tricolore: a collector's bike to celebrate Made in Italy | |
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A tribute to all things “Made in Italy” and Ducati history: the Panigale V4 Tricolore. A collector's bike produced in a limited capacity of 1,000 numbered units that will make the hearts of all enthusiasts beat faster, reinterpreting the livery of the 1984 750 F1, a bike that began exactly forty years ago. A Tricolore livery that in the following years was dedicated to the most prestigious versions of the various generations of Ducati Superbikes, ever since the first 851 Desmoquattro in 1988.
Innovation, tradition, and passion come together in one extraordinary tale. The Panigale V4 Tricolore is a renewed promise: that of getting excited again, of experiencing the privilege of a history that continues to define the future of sports motorcycles. A bond that spans time, celebrating Ducati's engineering artistry and the indomitable Italian spirit that animates each of its creations.
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*PLEASE NOTE - THE 20% OFF SERVICE VOUCHER IS GOOD FOR ONE USE ONLY AND IS PER CUSTOMER, NOT PER BIKE. | |
(714) 256-6700 socalmotorcycles.com | | | | |
